The Shape-Shifter
by HeroProject39
Summary: The game Luxu has to participate in coincides with the Trickster’s. Whether she will prove to be the catalyst of doom or the light that guides the player relies on their bond. Will the chains of fate that link them together strengthen? Or will it be severed by the lost phantom without an identity? [P5] [Shadow OC; not a Persona-user OC] [OC-centric] [ON HOLD]
1. Where Have You Been?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC(s).**

**Genres: Friendship, Adventure, Humor, Mystery**

**Notes to make: I don't do romance in general, but I have a bias for Joker as my number one favorite character in the entire Persona franchise (despite not knowing the other games as well but meh). So I will be pairing OC X Joker but not explicitly. So maybe a slow burn relationship? The slow burn that makes you wish the actual romance would come? Yeah, hence the lack of romance genre, since that's not the main focus.**

**Do**** expect a lot of interaction with everyone! There are perks to having a shape-shifting buddy.**

**Joker ****will be known as Akira Kurusu in this fic. I'll admit, I was a bit salty with his official name Ren Amamiya but now I don't mind it as much. I still prefer Akira since the whole name just sounds edgey for this dude and rightfully so. I think it's b/c of the Ks when you pronounce his whole name. That's part of my reasoning.**

**Sporadic**** updates! If I don't update in half a year, I may post a notice chapter. Yes I know how ridiculously long the story and content is that Haru was sadly crammed in without as much development when the story is 3/4 finished. But I'll do my best!**

**Now let's move on to the actual story!**

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

So noisy.

Blurs of shiny monochrome beetles purred and zip across one path while pedestrians stampede the other. Horns blared in riot, chatters flood the environment mindlessly and boisterously.

_"Humans are weak."_

Eyes obscured under a black cloth roamed the many faces of Earth's inhabitants. The same blank, ignorantly blissful, and disappointed visages that are the face stamps of humanity.

_"Humans are boring."_

A thick miasma hung the tip of the tongue. Black wisps danced the contour of all those in immediate vicinity, some dyed darker than others.

_"Humans are disgusting."_

_But..._

A lone girl stood in the crossroad of the street. Not a single glance was spared her way as humans traversed lanes. Rather, the lack of her presence rendered the naked eye immune.

_That makes it all the worthwhile to sniff those special souls out._

The game begins...

**[Where Have You Been?]**

She had no memories upon her arrival. Yet the moment she had manifested on the streets of Tokyo, a buzzing land of human civilization, she instantly knew she had a peculiar power in the back of her hand. It was nothing a human would possess, but a supernatural creature of fiction.

It turned out she's not truly human. If she were, her "fellow" human "brothers and sisters" (as those delusional men called prophets would say) would have seen her, much less physically come into contact. Instead, a body or a shoulder would phase through, as uncomfortable she would be everytime.

She was also conscious of another world; one inhabited by creatures who may be considered her "siblings": the Shadows. After countless (almost civilized, surprising enough) interrogations about her identity, existence, and the world around them, the enigma had come to the conclusion that she is a Shadow herself. The creatures seem to treat her as such like she was already a part of their friendly circle, hence the lack of hostility between them.

To borrow the language of man, a Phantom may be more appropriate for her ability to traverse between the Shadow world, known as the Metaverse, and reality.

With the Shadows as her only interaction, she had learned of these humans who are said to be incompetent, foolish, and even more monstrous and filthy than the Shadows themselves. At first, she failed to recognize the hatred and discrimination they had treated humans like inferior creatures. As she watched the denizens of Tokyo live their lives, she had witnessed countless incidents of man's corrupt nature. A disappointing fact among Shadows had appealed her to think the same.

Yet a piece, however small it may be, of hope remains in her heart. She wanted to believe the world is not absolutely bad as they say. Surely there is someone out in the vast world that would have virtue to make a difference for the better good.

The Shadows would laugh as though she made a hilarious joke of the lifetime. How "cute" the hope was, they would say and slap her back jokingly.

Despite those words, she continues to have faith.

That was two years ago. Recently she is capable of interacting with the human world in the form of an animal they call a _tanuki_ (1). She was not sure why a raccoon dog, but regardless, she gets chased by humans left and right. Apparently a tanuki is believed to grant good luck and money among them, especially an albino whose white fur further guarantees fortune.

It became too bothersome for her that she only wills herself into a tanuki when she is required to interact with the environment. Rumors and sightings on her slowly but surely attracted many eyes on Tokyo and became a legend of sorts.

Humans are such curious beings.

In her human form, she identifies herself as "Luxu." She was subconsciously aware that is a given name when she was born. Though she still suffers from amnesia and sometimes wonder what that meant or who gave it to her.

Perhaps the clues to her memories are found here in the human world. Perhaps the opposite for the Metaverse. Or maybe...

Luxu stands before a school whose sign read **Shujin Academy**. Her nose scrunched distastefully.

_'Reeks of malevolence...'_

She analysed the many faces of teenagers wearing identical uniforms, save the alterations for girls and boys. Of course, none of them noticed her presence as they leave the building.

_'I should investigate.'_

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

Luxu had no luck finding anything that would trigger her memories to revive, but to say this academy was not intriguing would be wrong.

The principal (whose head reminded her of an egg) is undeniably incompetent. Perhaps it is because of him that the rest of the faculty staff are foolish. There was a lack of passion, the fire that humans burn with determination to strive to live their days like no tomorrow. Luxu wished to see someone like that, just for a change of pace in the usual boring bland faces.

The humanoid Phantom finds a girl hiding behind the corner of the wall aside from her protruding head. Luxu traced her line of sight and landed on an unsuspecting boy chatting with his friend a safe distance away. When she returned her gaze, she concluded the girl has a desire that may very blossom into a much twisted obsession. Somehow no one bothered to recommend a therapist.

Despite being aware of her empty presence, Luxu still walked around her while keeping a distance from the eery giggling and mumbles.

Luxu leans her back against the space beside the vending machines in the courtyard, the area currently vacant. Even in a small space, the miasma is very thick that she could swat away the air and it still would never leave.

"I don't remember this neighborhood being so suffocating before..." Luxu mused. What could be the cause?

A pair of footsteps entered. A lone girl dressed without the black blazer has a black leg brace on one leg and white running shoes. A gloomy dark shadow was visibly evident, screaming miserableness.

Luxu furrowed her light brows and frowned upon the sight of the bandages on her leg. A victim of the malevolence, most likely.

The dark ponytail teen sits on the bench across Luxu and hung her head to the floor. Her fists on her lap tightened to white. If it were not for the Shadow's sharp hearing, Luxu would have failed to hear the student utter a ghost of a mumble, "I can't fail... Volleyball is all I have..."

A thin black layer outlining the contour of her body leeked into the atmosphere. Luxu lifts herself off the wall and widened a fraction of her eyes.

_'Her_ _Shadow...!'_

Luxu hesitated. What can she do before the face of negative emotions piling up? She can't leave knowing such a danger.

The human continued to mumble incoherent lines until she caved in and veiled her face from the world with her hands. "Ann..."

A high pitched whine followed afterwards. It was not from the girl, however.

She opened her dark eyes to meet a furry body of pelt white as snow. A pair of squinted eyes stared at her.

The girl lowered her hands, bewildered. "A... tanuki?"

Luxu slowly pads her paws to the stunned teen as to not startle her out of her seat. She watches her frame stand rigid before nuzzling her muzzle to her lower leg, uttering a whimper to convey concern.

The muscles in her leg loosened. Luxu looks up only to be lifted under her front limbs and settled on the human's lap.

"You are a tanuki... Right?" She asked, "Could you be the one people in the internet posted about these days?"

The raccoon dog tilts her head.

"I wonder why you're here in a school all of a sudden..." The human said aloud more to herself. "It's dangerous, you know?" She gently rubs Luxu's back in one steady motion. It was rare for a human child to not leap on the chance of a rare sight. Luxu was not complaining, though.

A faint twitch of a smile lifted her lips. In that instance, Luxu was awed. She looks more beautiful with a smile.

"Your fur's so soft and fluffy. You actually look more like a pet dog than a wild tanuki." She remarked and cuddled the animal.

Luxu remained still in her hold. How can a human's body be so warm yet cold at the same time? Could the coldness be the darkness clinging to her heart for however long it has been?

The pitch black flames died down. Luxu could no longer see it, however it still remains burning alive inside.

"Did you appear to console me?" The girl asked. In response, Luxu rubbed her head against the human's. A giggle chiming like soothing bells was elicited.

"That tickles." Luxu was pulled back to face her. She was surprised to meet glazed eyes.

"Thank you. No one besides my best friend has been so nice and there to be by my side like you." The girl hugs the albino tanuki with a much firmer squeeze yet not strong enough to suffocate her.

Luxu frowned. '_Really? Has it been that tough for you to be so vulnerable? How hurt are you?'_

The animal tentatively licked her cheek. She did not seem to mind as she buried her head deeper.

"Thank you..." Her voice cracked in the end.

Luxu stared into the distance past her small hunched shoulders with musing eyes. Suddenly her ear twitched to life. Someone is coming.

Luxu released a small whine and squirmed in her embrace before slipping out and dashing from sight. She heard the human cry out for her but the phantom did not pay heed after hiding from the public eye and instantly shifting into her Shadow form the next.

Luxu leaped atop the blue roof and watched as another human girl entered. A curious outlander unlike most of this land's denizens, with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes (a stark contrast to the gloomy child) inquired the ponytail girl who replied with a feint air of obliviousness. Luxu discovered the latter's name to be Shiho while the former is Ann.

_'Could that be the best friend she mentioned? Why doesn't the human tell her what she said to me?'_

Luxu was puzzled on human behavior. Why do they not get straight to the point and tell each other their problems? They are only hastening their doom by doing that.

The phantom decides to leave for the day and return to Mementos. She will find Shiho's Shadow and confront her about it herself in hopes to quell the concerning miasma belonging to the human.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

Luxu sniffs the air before a distorted portal where wooden train tracks spiraled into the core and black webs surge inside. This scent is just like Shiho's. This has to be it.

Luxu leaps into the portal that sucked her in like a vacuum. Her body swims through the scarlet dimension until she crossed to the other side. Upon landing, a single figure standing in the center can be seen.

The shape-shifter approached. "You must be Shiho, right?"

Said girl turns. Glowing golden yellow eyes stared, casted by a dark shadow. "Who are you and why are you here?" Shadow Shiho asked in distortion. The inky wave of darkness danced and swirled by her feet actively.

"I'm Luxu. I met your other self once before. What's happened to you to harbor such black emotions?" She asked.

Shadow Shiho was mildly confused. She does not recall meeting an albino girl before. "It's none of your business." She retorted. A flicker of irritation deepened her visage before she crestfallen. "Please... Leave me alone..."

Luxu stepped forward. "You're clearly suffering. When was the last time you smiled and forgot the hardships of reality for a single moment? Will you tell me you do not seek help after all that torture?"

Shadow Shiho chewed her bottom lip almost that it bled. "I... I..." She clutched her head and sunk to the floor. Sobs escaped her.

"I can't... It hurts so, so much... But I don't want to lose my passion for volleyball. If I lose my spot in the team, then I can't do anything. Volleyball is all I'm good at. I might as well just die!"

Luxu closed her eyes and breathes in.

"Idiot."

Shadow Shiho looks up, wet tears flooding her eyes. "Huh?"

"If you give up that easily, then there's no guarantee you would even make your dream come true. How hopeless."

"Wha..."

"'Might as well die'?" Luxu echoed with a snarl, genuinely upset. "People who say that nonsense are those I hate the most. How could you submit to evil without a fight? How could you degrade yourself?"

Luxu kneels before the collapsed Shadow and meets eye to eye. "It's not the end of the world if you lose the spot. Plus, you have someone who worries about you constantly, no?"

Luxu awaits her response.

"...Why are you doing this?" Shadow Shiho asked. "I don't know you. You don't know me. We're just strangers to each other. Yet why?"

Luxu hated to admit she had no idea of the purpose to her meddling. It was the spur of the moment. Saying it was to satisfy her guilt is not the wisest response.

The albino rubbed the back of her head while searching for an answer. "I guess... There's no reason why I should be helping someone in need. I just didn't want to see someone so sad and pretend everything will be all right."

Luxu returns her gaze now albeit sheepish. "If I _had_ to give an excuse... Then would it be wrong for me to believe that meddling in others' problems is a natural thing for a hero to do?"

Shadow Shiho widens her eyes. Suddenly, the Shadow leaps onto the albino and wrapped her arms around her, taking the latter by surprise as she fell on her behind.

"Thank you..." Shadow Shiho's voice cracked as she said this.

Luxu stared at her head, arms hovering over her until they slowly and awkwardly embraced back. She pats her trembling back and rubs circles. The sobs of one teenage girl was all that was heard in the wide black chasm that is Shiho's heart.

_'I may not have a real form, but if not even a real existence can save a girl from hell, then I will with my own hands.'_

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

Luxu searches for Shiho through the vague traces of her scent amidst the palpable fog of impure emotions until she finally spots her in the hallway.

Talking with her Shadow does not change the other self's behavior, but Luxu would not have known the anguish otherwise.

The phantom came to a stop upon seeing a boy conversing with Shiho. Like the human girl, he also has a strained face that seem to fall to the floor in gloom. A band-aid and faint yet visible red bruises plastered his cheeks. One of his two forearms was wrapped in bandages.

"Well..." The well-mannered boy began, looking at the floor all the while. "I have to go."

He left Shiho to her own devices with a message Luxu may have missed prior to her arrival. She watched the girl's eyes clouded. Was there a swollen bruise above her eye before?

Ringing beeps came from Shiho, who pulled out her phone. "Ann..."

Luxu follows the student while having a terrible feeling in her gut gripped by an unseen force.

After traversing to the other side of the academy called the practice building and a floor, Shiho arrived before a door. The yellow sign read **PE Faculty.**

Luxu assumed she was meeting someone until Shiho lingered in her spot longer than needed. The albino stared at the girl as she opened the door and entered. "Please excuse me..."

A single man was sitting by his office desk until he heard the footsteps come to a halt. He turns his chair to face her and crossed his arms, a casual smile on his face. "Sorry for suddenly calling you here."

Upon his presence, Luxu's breath hitched.

A flicker of gold replaced his eyes before it disappeared the next instant.

_'His Shadow has assumed a form unlike any I've seen!'_

Shiho rubbed her arm. "What...did you need me for?"

The man began, "Suzui, from what I've seen, it seems that your performance has been dropping quite a bit lately."

The ponytail girl lowered her head. "Yes..."

"If this goes on, I might have to rethink making you a starter at the next meet."

"Y-You can't!" Shiho cried in distress.

Luxu does not understand what that meant, but she assumes it supposedly threatens her position as a player.

"Don't panic. Whether I actually make you a starter or not still depends on you." He said.

The phantom notices the teacher's line of vision was directed to her chest.

He smirks maliciously. Luxu watches dreadfully as black ribbons leak from his countour and dance at his feet. "As long as you keep quiet until I'm finished."

Shiho steps back alarmed. "Kamoshida-sensei?! What are you..."

Luxu instantly morphs into her tanuki form and leaps for the hostile threat.

Both humans widened their eyes, one of recognition and the other bewildered. Where did it come from?!

The Kamoshida man held his arm up reflexively in time for Luxu to dig her fangs in hairy human flesh. Blood trickled from the puncture.

"A tanuki?!" Kamoshida cursed under his breath before lifting Luxu with his arm up. "Get the hell off me, rodent!"

Luxu braced for the swing. Pained whimpers escaped her upon hitting the concrete floor. Every part of her body was reverberating in agony. Even as an animal the man showed no mercy.

A distressed cry called out for her. Luxu lifts her head weakly and was lifted from the cold floor and into a warm embrace.

"No..." Shiho cradles the whimpering critter, her heart sinking the more she heard its suffering. She swerved her head to Kamoshida. Her brows trembled in mixture of anger and fear. "How could you?!"

_'No, run, Shiho... He'll catch you and satiate his desires...'_

Luxu squirms and growls at the man while held back by the girl's arms.

Kamoshida scowled. "Quit the yip yapping, damn tanuki! You're not supposed to be here!"

Shiho quickly steps back until her roaming hand grabbed the handle behind her. She slid it open and flees from the office. Kamoshida did not seem to be chasing hot on her trails, which would have attracted attention in the school building.

Luxu watched as Shiho continued running to who knows where before losing unconsciousness.

Being in a tanuki's body is so frail.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

A vague whiff of savory aroma stimulated Luxu's keen sense of smell.

_'How familiar... It's almost nostalgic...'_

Luxu lifts her head. She was lying on a soft bed in an unknown room. Looking out the window, it was nighttime. Her squinted gaze rested on a picture frame sitting atop a desk beside the bed.

It was a photo of Shiho and the familiar blonde pigtail girl smiling together. The line in Luxu's eyelids curved gently.

She could sense a close knit bond of friendship from the simple yet sweet picture. How nice it is to have a friend to always think of.

The door to the room opened and clicked close quickly. Luxu watches the owner of the bedroom approach with a plate of chopped meat and another plate with water.

Shiho smiles and sets them on the floor before the tanuki. "You must be hungry. Here." She beckons Luxu closer and waits patiently for the albino to come.

While Luxu is a Shadow, her interaction with the real world affects her body. Thus, she is not immune to the desire of hunger rumbling in her belly.

Luxu hops off the bed and warily pads over to the meat. With a sniff, she bites a piece of the tender meat (is this pork? Or maybe beef...) before wolfing everything down until the plate was licked clean. She heard the amused giggling elicited from the human but did not pay mind as she savored the delicious juiciness of meat.

Luxu eagerly looks up at Shiho, oblivious of her fluffy tail wagging behind with a mind of its own. She wanted more of that tasty meat, preferably something different to spice her tastebuds.

Shiho was pleased to have satisfied Luxu's appetite and cooed. "So cute!"

It was then Luxu realized her behavior was deviating from her normal self and bit back her excitement. Being a tanuki can sometimes take control of her emotions when she lets it slip, much to her embarrassment.

Her line of vision spotted a white ball propped beside the bed.

_'Is this...?'_

Luxu approaches the object and placed a paw on top before rolling it side to side. It was a volleyball Shiho highly spoke of.

She doesn't understand why humans would go so far for sports. Risking a limb for entertainment is not something she would be willing to prepare for, Shadow or human. If it was for a battle, that's a whole other story.

The ball slipped from under her pads and rolls away from her. Luxu leaped for it before it would leave its former position and laid her body atop, her hind paws the only support she has from slipping off the floor. For the human eyes, it was watching an animal react to the ball and playing with it.

A mechanical snapping sound was heard.

Curious of the noise, the tanuki looks back but rolled off the wrong side and clumsily toppled onto the carpet floor. The next moment she was on all fours and shook off the fall nonchalantly. Shiho seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.

Luxu examines Shiho up and down before deeming her stay has been long overdue. Now that she's safe in her home, Luxu will not intrude any longer.

The tanuki inclines her head to the window.

"Oh, you want to leave, don't you?" Shiho said. She nodded once in understanding. "Okay."

Once the window was open for Luxu, Shiho pets her head. "Thank you. Things would've gone for the worse if you weren't there to save me. I hope to see you again. Be careful of the bad guys coming after you, okay?"

_'I should say the same for you.'_

The soft warm hand slipped from her head and fell limp by the girl's side. Luxu, who was perched on the window sill, solemnly met her eyes until she turned to the outside world and climbed down the discrete pathway to the ground. Luxu looks back to see Shiho waving farewell from the window. The phantom hops atop the concrete fence before vanishing beyond the border from sight.

As human Luxu treads back to Shibuya with all the time in the world, her expression gentle with a hand lingering on her stomach.

The warm meal lingered inside and touched her heart.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

The next day, Luxu was investigating the labyrinth of the Metaverse examining every corner and branch leading her into dead ends. She was not looking for the next level like one would expect. Instead, she was searching for any patterns this dungeon paved for her.

It was merely out of boredom that she decided to take her sweet time counting the times she faced a wall and multiple fork in the road instances. She had gone as far as she could within the Metaverse, which isn't much of an accomplishment. Luxu has no clue what would trigger the wall to collapse and rid itself of being an obstacle in her path. As vain her attempt is, she had no bright ideas at the moment.

A pair of footsteps marched over to the black-cladded individual from behind, their shadow casted above her head.

"What are you doing, Luxu?" They asked curiously.

Said girl continued roaming her hands across the wall without sparing a glance past her shoulder. "I'm checking for any hidden passages."

"Hidden passages?" The black humanoid Shadow with numerous masks attached on their body echoed and tilted their head, seemingly confused. They watch Luxu knock, tap, graze, and pound on the brick surface to no luck. She heaved her shoulders with a sigh and turned her back to the wall. The unnamed Shadow who approached her follows behind her trail. She paid no mind as she shared the sentiment of having nothing to do in this universe. Unlike the standard Shadows, Luxu can traverse to the real world and even interact with it. That's what makes her popular here.

Luxu kicks down a metal barricade nonchalantly and continued onwards with a new companion tagging along.

"Have you been hanging out with a human of the human realm?" They asked, adding, "Your scent is rubbed with human all over."

Luxu sniffed herself. "Huh, I didn't realize."

"So you were? Did they look tasty?" They innocently asked with eagerness.

Such inquiries were nothing new in the Metaverse. Luxu may be a Shadow sharing common beastly instincts, but she's not prone to hunger, especially for humans. She is only hungry if she realizes it. Only then would she be required to scavenge for food like an actual rodent, as much as her refined tastes didn't match up.

"No, they didn't." Luxu replied nonchalantly.

The Shadow slumped in disappointment. "Aw..."

Luxu rolled her eyes behind her black blindfold. Some Shadows of this area can be so gullible at times.

She encounters a treasure chest glowing radiantly as though begging to be opened. Upon opening it, she was once again disappointed.

"Another filthy, weak sword..." Luxu closed it and returns back to the fork in the road she had diverged from.

The Shadow looks from Luxu to the chest before to Luxu again and scurried a few paces behind her. "You're not gonna take it?"

"Some treasures are just not worthy to bring along. Plus, what am I going to do with it? My weapons are good enough." Luxu replied. She has collected countless of copies of the same treasures like the sword from before. She would have sold them as humans would to get rid of items in exchange for equivalent value, but there is no purpose for her to carry money. Only humans engage in that practice.

"Ah, okay..." The Shadow said before falling quiet.

Another few turns and examinations of solid walls later, the results were not surprising: not a single progress was made.

Luxu knew her time spent is going down the drain, but her situation regarding the damn wall rendered her hopeless. She could have wandered in Shibuya from the human world, but she would be reminded of Shiho every time. If that was the case, staying here is the better choice for both her and Shiho.

_'A phantom shouldn't be attached to something real...'_

Luxu looked back on the memory of a sweet girl who acted like any other teenage girl and expressed anticipation for their next encounter.

She scratched her head. How long has it been she felt platonic affection? The answer is never, as she had no means to interact with humans until recently. At least, from what she knew during the two years she has existed.

Luxu found herself conflicted. Why does one human girl make her feel sentimental for the real world? She shouldn't be so invested in a world she can't hope to coexist with. She just can't.

Waving the Shadow goodbye, the albino climbed down the next level. She sensed a formidable presence empowering the rest of the mob Shadows of this floor.

Curious, Luxu heads to the source. What she was surprised to discover was the familiar scent of the girl she had only met recently.

"This is Shiho's..." Yet the negative energy emitted from the vortex was far more stronger than before.

Luxu pursed her lips into a frown. She had a feeling she won't like what may come after this.

Despite that, she leaped into the red and black void with a weary conscience. What happened to Shiho while the Shadow was absent?

Luxu comes face to face with Shiho's Shadow once again. However this time, the greeting was not what she had anticipated.

Golden yellow eyes contorted in despair, tears cascading upon hollow cheeks.

"I...lost it..." Was what Shadow Shiho uttered ghostly.

Luxu parted her lips in gradual dread. Her brows twisted as the cogs in her brain attempted to comprehend her words. "What...do you mean?"

"My dream... I can't continue living anymore..." The girl said.

From behind Luxu's blindfold, her eyes dilated wide upon hearing the dreadful words.

"Kamoshida... He broke my arms and now they're paralyzed! _I can't play volleyball anymore!_"

The black energy surrounding her erratically swirled into a storm, whipping her hair against her face of despair.

Luxu attempted to stand her ground from the mighty force. From it, she was hit with tremendous negative energy. Her brows scrunched as she gritted her teeth. _'What overwhelming despair!'_

Unfortunately her feet was swept away like a feather and was sent flying backwards into the void she had entered.

Luxu's back landed on the ground unceremoniously. She winced slightly from the impact and stands. Now the entrance has put up an invisible barrier that repelled physical contact that tries to enter the closed off heart of Shiho.

Luxu remained still as she stared at the blocked void that endlessly spiraled black webs into the center.

"That can't be..."

Shiho's future of playing volleyball was robbed. And it was Luxu's fault.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

**(1) - A tanuki is a raccoon dog associated with luck. These mythical tanukis are mischievous shapeshifters. One exaggerated feature is the tanuki's giant scrotum which represents good luck with money. Tanukis are close relatives of foxes. Apparently in 2013 there was an all-white tanuki with blue eyes discovered and was assumed to be good luck because it's white.**

**Aw, it's not your fault, Luxu! It's all Kamoshida's fault for being scum and ruining Shiho's life without a sense of humanity!**

**Luxu is still in shock that she's persuaded that her interacting with the real world led to someone's future stolen unfairly. All simply because she wanted to help. Now she'll feel extremely guilty for who knows how long. What will happen from here on?**

**'Til next update!**


	2. Been Searching All Along

**[Been Searching All Along]**

The tapping noise pursuing the train tracks in the train's path filled in the void of her mind until it left the subway. She stood for who knows how long on the platform staring at the wall solemnly.

Luxu was used to the roars thundering in her ears, however this is the first where she wished the noise would continue to clear her thoughts born from severe guilt.

How could this happen?

Luxu lowered her head. The weight of her inclination pressed her gaze to the wooden tracks. Her long white hair cascading her back like a waterfall swished to the side from the evident cold wind, her black coat flapping along.

Because of Luxu's intervention, Shiho's arms were now rendered useless. The human can no longer play her beloved volleyball sport that required mostly her hands.

Luxu punched the solid surface of the wall preventing further entry into the depths. Underneath her black leather glove, the pain pulsing through her knuckles was the only thing to numb her anger.

"Damn it all!" She shouted. No one in the hollow underground subway was there to witness nor stop her internal battle of herself, hence the lack of self-restraint.

Is this how fate graced her in all its spite and omnipotent powers? Is this what she gets for assuming she can play hero in a world she envies?

Luxu's fist falls limp by her side, the hand twitching from the punch that left no dent on the cursed wall.

"I just... wanted to help... What are my powers for if I can't even save one girl?" Her voice cracks in the end.

What did Shiho do to deserve such cruel fate? Why does Luxu exist with these unknown powers that can do so much in this barren crimson world yet not in the colorful world of life?

Luxu lifts her gaze to the dull ceiling. Her lips quivered against the stale air.

"Why was I born into this world?"

No one answered.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

Luxu has to know Shiho's current state in the real world. Her Shadow had shut her out from entry, which prevents her from intervening in whatever the Shadow may plan to do with her other self. If Shadow Shiho tries to persuade the other to kill herself, Luxu can't do anything to stop her in the human realm.

She hoped from the bottom of her heart that Shiho wouldn't listen to her inner persona.

The sole of Luxu's boots gradually pounds the earth louder and louder as she briskly walks to Shujin Academy. Her feet teetered between walking normally and running hastily to their destination, conflicted in time.

The phantom didn't pay mind as she swiftly phased through some students in her line of path. From the scent, Shiho should be inside already-!

She collided directly into something solid unexpectedly. Luxu tripped, but somehow didn't wound up kissing the ground.

A groaning sound emerged from below her. Luxu lifts her head to find herself atop a student lying face down to the ground.

The Shadow was staring at the back of frizzy dark hair in surprise. Her mind once occupied with Shiho was now swarming with other thoughts. She could feel the material of clothing under her fingers, the broad body definition underneath the layers, but most importantly; the warmth of a person.

She subconsciously inhaled the scent belonging to the human serving as her cushion. It had a mild hint of coffee and spices mixed in with his original scent. Perhaps he was new to this city? Luxu may not bother to remember people's faces, but she spent the two years in Tokyo people-watching out of boredom and escapism from the Metaverse. This human was certainly not familiar to Shibuya, for sure.

The boy who appeared to be around her age (Luxu herself doesn't know) looks over his shoulder, large black rimmed glasses crooked from the fall. Dark gray eyes widen in surprise at the presence who was still laying on his back.

Luxu didn't recognize the close proximity between them as she stared silently at his face. His long eyelashes stood out to her at the moment.

Something just _clicked_ between them.

Both Luxu and the boy's breaths hitched. There was a strange sensation tingling their arms, particularly the wrists. Unnerved by the contact, Luxu now gets off him. Students surrounding them had stopped to whisper of _why the transfer student is still on the ground_ and of the sudden trip of air.

Luxu eyed the human boy warily as he lifts himself off the ground before she quickly resumed her path inside the Academy, not saying a word during the exchange.

Who the hell was that guy? She can somehow touch him? He can see her? But she wasn't in her tanuki form, and she shouldn't be able to interact with the human realm while as a Shadow.

When she entered to the entrance of the academy, she stared at her gloves hands. She looks to a nearby random student and approaches them. They made no motion in acknowledging her as she then swung her hand on their shoulder. Her hand phased through it.

Could the boy with the glasses be...?

Luxu spared a glance back to the entrance. She shook her head. She'll worry about that another time. Shiho is her top priority now.

Luxu had searched all over the academy for her. Tracking her would have been easy if it weren't for the several foul scents mixed in. For some reason they were more stronger than the last time she visited.

The humanoid Shadow ran left and right, staircase to staircase, and poked her head through every room. There was no sight of the human. With the overwhelming stench, Luxu may as well gamble on the possibility that Shiho wasn't even present in the building.

Luxu darts up the flight of stairs until she arrived to the rooftop. The door was left slightly open.

As a phantom, Luxu didn't let the obstacle stop her as she phased through the door. There she finally found her.

Standing on the ledge of the roof for everyone to see was Shiho, whose either arms were in casts and crossed over her chest. Dark hazy brown eyes were devoid of life as she stared at the bottom of the earth, having resigned to knocking on heaven's door.

Tanuki Luxu whimpered loudly for Shiho. She stood just behind the fence, anxious that her contact would only make things worse than they already were. Luxu has to persuade her to not take another step forward.

Shiho did not pay heed to the white tanuki's cry. Or rather, she could not hear her, for her mind was too clouded by the beguiling notion of a place to forever rest.

Could her Shadow have already manipulated her mind? Was the roots too deep for her to dig out?

Tanuki Luxu placed both paws on the fence, begging Shiho to turn around to no avail.

"Please, Shiho! Don't listen to your Shadow! Don't kill yourself!!"

To the human ears, the tanuki was desperately making loud high pitched noises and clawing at the fence. Despite that, Shiho barely made any notion to acknowledge Luxu.

The sight of a student dangerously close to the edge of the roof attracted all of Shujin Academy to the windows where they can see her.

Shiho tilts her head to the murky grey clouds.

She falls.

Human Luxu shot her arm out for her. It didn't matter what part of her as long as she could grab on to her-!

Her hand grazed her back. Her fingers ghostly touch Shiho's body in all Luxu's transparency.

The color in Luxu's skin disappeared near instantly, and her body turned cold.

Shiho continued falling even when barely within Luxu's reach. She disappears from the rooftop. A solemn thud from below resounded the air.

A knot clogged her throat from making any sound. She had grasped air in place of Shiho. She had her just then! She was right there in front of her within her grasp!

Horrified gasps echoed from the classrooms. The windows are crowded with peering faces and bodies glued to the glass. Students were slowly pouring out of the building to where Shiho had landed for a better look.

Luxu's outstretched arm slowly fell limp by her side. She remained on the rooftop collapsed to the floor from the buckle of her knees, watching as the crowd gradually grew teeming with students.

Luxu stared at her hands. They were trembling uncontrollably nonstop. From beneath her leather gloves, her palms became sweaty.

Her lips quivered, paving the path for shallow ragged breaths now escaping her the longer she stared down at the contour of Shiho's fallen body. Her limbs were splayed unnaturally on the ground where no human should be positioned on.

The sound of alarms blaring in the distance approached.

Luxu could only taste dry air. She had the urge to vomit, but her body was incapable of that. She is a ghost, not a human.

That's why she couldn't save Shiho.

Paramedics had arrived to the scene and lifted Shiho's body on the carrier, red ambulance lights blinking every second. A blonde girl came up to Shiho and bent to her level. She then stood up and joined Shiho inside the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.

Luxu stood up. Shiho was barely clinging to life. There's still hope!

Luxu leaps off the rooftop and lands safely on top of the ambulance before it would depart. The Shadow remained on top until they arrived to the nearest site. She watched as the back doors open for the paramedics and Shiho's friend to exit, pulling a transportation cart for patients that Shiho laid on towards the inside of the hospital, and jumps off the ambulance.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

A few hours passed since Shiho was inside the operating room. Her friend Ann had waited on the edge of her seat for the doctor to come out with hopeful news, sweating nervously from the anxiety eating her faith away.

Once the doctor arrived and gave the news, Luxu left the human world and warped to the Metaverse without waiting for Ann's reaction. If she stayed for too long, she'll get too emotional than she already has been. The cold emptiness of the Shadow realm helps relieve the sentimental pain.

While Shiho survived from the fall, that was countered by her comatose state. At least Shiho was alive than dead.

Luxu wasn't content with that, however. There was one person to have caused all of this from the very beginning, before Luxu had intervened.

Kamoshida.

Some days elapsed afterwards. During the duration, Luxu was preparing her equipment and polishing her skills for her infiltration.

Luxu travels to the Metaverse Shujin Academy. She needs to bust the man who attempted to assault her and then broke her arms from use into oblivion. If that bastard hadn't abuse his power, Shiho wouldn't have deserved the suffering. No one should have. Yet he does however he likes because he knew the students wouldn't lay a finger on him without repercussions.

Unforgivable!

When Luxu arrived to her destination, she discovered a giant brick castle in its place.

_'So there really **was** something up with this place.'_

The albino frowns.

_'Maybe Shiho is in there as one of the poor victims of whoever is the ruler of the castle.'_

Luxu enters to investigate. There was not a single guard watching the gates, indicating the security was disappointedly poor, though she won't complain since that meant less obstructions in the way.

_'Unless that also means security is tight elsewhere important that takes top priority than the entrance...'_

As Luxu ventures deep inside the glamorous castle, sneaking past armored knight Shadows within the darkness and smoothly avoiding confrontations, she realized how much the ruler of the castle has tacky tastes.

She almost gagged at the paintings and statues displaying who must be the king. When she closely examined his face portrait, she internally seethed in rage.

It was the man who Shiho had talked to in the office. The one who changed her life for the worst.

"Kamoshida..." She snarled. Once she sees him, she'll transform into a beast that will snap his neck in two with her jaws. At least, that's what she wishes. However, she knew that killing the cognitive Shadow version will end his life in the real world. Luxu wasn't all for killing a man, no matter how much of a scumbag he may be.

_'Some kills are mercy kills, and Kamoshida is not one to deserve a kind send off.'_

Luxu sneered at the portrait before proceeding to the next floor.

The castle was a maze, she noted upon stumbling into rooms that had required certain procedures and keys to progress. What was peculiar to her was that these puzzles were already solved and saved her a lot of trouble.

_'Is someone also infiltrating like me?'_

Luxu wanted to doubt it, as it's unlikely a Shadow would have a will of its own to sabotage the king's throne. Only smart beings are capable of that, and majority of the Shadows are not the brightest in coming up with schemes, especially by themselves.

Whoever they were, Luxu would find out soon.

"I must say, this Palace is getting on my nerves..." Luxu murmurs to herself as she swatted stray rose petals off her coat. How disgustingly romantic the setting is.

Luxu hides behind a pillar and peaks past it carefully.

Especially with an egotistic statue displaying a man in nothing but a heart pattern robe that did nothing to cover his exposed briefs of the matching pattern.

Luxu made a distasteful expression at it. The king sees himself almost like the God of the world. Only in _his_ world will that work. Also, ew.

With numerous guards patrolling the area, Luxu retraced her steps back to the room behind the entrance she came. It would be a hassle to sneak through every guard and hide her presence at the same time.

After a cautionary scan of the room currently free of Shadows, Luxu imagines the form she wishes to manifest and once she did, a poof of smoke appeared in her place.

Once the smoke cleared, what replaced Luxu's human form was a black crow flapping its wings.

If crows had the facial muscles, Luxu would be exasperated. She hated the smoke that comes with her transformations as it would attract attention, hence why she had to relocate to transform. The smokes are not small either. Perhaps it was the cognition of tanukis people had that put it into effect.

The crow sighed.

How troublesome.

Flying past the open doors deliberately left by Luxu herself, she makes sure to fly out of sight and avoid approaching the light the mosaic glass windows refracted. She wouldn't have them questioning how a bird is in the castle, now would she.

She soared to the upper floor and reverts back to human form (again with a puff of smoke damn it), landing quietly on her feet before opening the door. Upon hiding by the corner and looking beyond it, she frowned at the narrow hallway where a guard is pacing back and forth idly in his patrolling duties.

Luxu then smirks. That's what having transformation powers are for in this situation.

Luxu once again retreats to the area behind the door and transforms into what she hopes will make a great sneaky creature: a chameleon.

As disappointing you may have been, Luxu cannot disguise herself as a Shadow like the knights in this Palace. Luxu once tried it at Mementos for the heck of it and the Shadows quickly pointed out her identity when comparing. Apparently it had something to do with her "trying too hard," they had claimed. The only reason none of the Shadows here have yet to notice her was because of the black coat she wears which has many uses. One is concealing her identity as though she was only a literal shadow.

Luxu's powers are only used to sneak around and if necessary, fight in confrontations. Her transformations range from animals to humans (if she tries hard enough), although Luxu has realized she lasts longer in a female body. If she were to become a human boy, she wouldn't remain as one for a few minutes. There was also the white pigment factor that plays if Luxu doesn't think much on what she wants to become.

Back when she turned into a crow, there was more thinking required if she wanted to not stand out like a sore thumb in this dark setting. It also takes her time to do so, which was odd for her to acknowledge but came to accept anyway.

Luxu, now as a velvet red chameleon to match the floor, crawls through the gap between the door and through the back of the sofas and vase stands placed in the hallway. The guard did not acknowledge her presence yet as he nonchalantly yawns in his pacing. Luxu internally snickered at the obliviousness the Shadows have. This is cakewalk!

Once she enters a spiral staircase, Luxu changed into a crow again and flies up and out of the exit to the staircase. A tower awaits past the open rooftop where large imposing knights emanating a dangerous level of power were tightly knit in this one area.

_'That must mean the _core _of this Palace is just up ahead.'_

Luxu perches on a flag pole and looks down. A flash of surprise flickered in her eyes.

A group of four -three masked humans and one peculiar anthropomorphic cat with a large head- were crouched behind the oddly placed crates hiding from the knights whenever they approached too close for their liking.

They seemed to be in stuck between a rock and a hard place as they faltered in progressing forward. There were a lot of Shadows lingering at the door to the tower. The group must have considered the numerous cons to confronting them as well, assuming they were smart enough to not blindly rush into every body they see.

Luxu was intrigued. While she doesn't know their objective, she finds herself willing to assist them, at least just this time. She doesn't see them as a threat to her at the moment.

The crow flaps her wings and approaches a Shadow near the sneaking group. She made a crow sound loud enough for almost everyone in the roof to hear and pecks at the Shadow's helmet repeatedly.

"Wha- A bird? Shoo! Go away!" The knight waves his long double-edged sword at Luxu. The crow avoided the slashes effortlessly and continued to knock on the metal armor to attract noise, which was annoying the Shadow more than anything.

His fellow armored friends look to the source of noise. They stopped patrolling to laugh at the sight. The farthest Shadows approached closer for a close up of what may be the most entertaining spectacle since tightening the security. The door was free of protection.

"Hahaha! You're letting a bird throw you off?"

"I think it likes you."

The victim continued to wildly swing his blade at Luxu in vain. "This damn bird won't leave me alone!"

From the corner of her eye, the four-man (er, well there's a cat, and a girl, but details details) group of intruders were confused at the opportunity granted by a crow but took the timing to dart from crate to crate until they arrived at the door.

Luxu flies above her target's head and circled around him. She let out a caw.

The knights gathered at a circle did not have the discretion to hide their amusement.

"The crow's making fun of you."

"What did I do?!" The provoked Shadow stomps his feet at the floor while raising his head to shoot glares at the crow, unable to do anything to her when she has the ability to soar up and beyond his reach. Luxu looks to the side and watched the mysterious group climb atop the roof and make a beeline for an alternative entry into the tower. The door must've been locked, she assumed.

Once they were out of sight Luxu leaves the rooftop having accomplished her task, abandoning a disgruntled Shadow among his entertained friends.

Luxu swoops into an open window of the tower and reverts back on her human feet.

The humans must have already proceeded deep into the building.

The albino wonders what brought the humans to come here. Moreover, _how_ they managed to enter the Metaverse. The ticket to the Shadow realm is not handed out like free pocket tissues. Perhaps this was the works of fate doing its thing?

Her curiosity nurtured by the mother of boredom was peaking. Those peculiar individuals may be just the perfect thing to kill time and cease the days of silence and solitude. Sure, she was a little lonely at times, but she has been living independently for two years. She had already grown accustomed to the lack of company, perhaps even favored loneliness if it meant making progress smoothly.

Luxu investigates the tower interior. The moment she had opened the door, the inside was playing tricks on the mind. Some parts of the floor lowered themselves with a mind of their own for no particular reason. In the hallway, Luxu frowned in displeasure at the sight of mannequin busts bared naked. The room beyond that displayed statues of women's buttocks upholding the pillars above them.

She can't wait to see this castle burn in hell for making her so uncomfortable in the two years she was conscious.

In the next room, she hides behind a wall as a Shadow knight passed by. From behind the wall she was at, she recognizes many knights that stood out above the rest in gold armor.

_'One of them has to be the big boss,...'_

Maybe he has something useful on him.

Luxu sharpens her senses. Out of the few gold knights, one was glowing a brilliant gold aura compared to the rest of the dim ones.

Luxu sucked in her teeth, however. The room is too crowded with the Shadows in one place. Can she actually take down the top guy with his men around him by herself?

She drew a sharp breath. No. There's another way. A way that won't require her to cause a scene and raise the security level. She just hopes the plan won't backfire on her.

She creeps behind a wall close the door. With a piece of a worn vase she had cracked, she chucks it at the empty room behind her. The porcelain shard shattered loud for the Shadows to hear. The "general" of the knights ordered them to investigate the source and remains in the room as the rest of the knights filed through the door. Once the knights had entered and the general looked away, Luxu closes the door and slides a sword she had found from Mementos through the double handles.

Now that the bothersome mob Shadows are out of the way, she just needs to take down the general before she exterminates the others.

She darts from corner to corner before leaping on the startled Shadow's back and ripping off his helmet mask.

The Shadow trembled for a moment before bursting into black and red ink that swallowed him whole until it cleared away to reveal the Persona underneath the mask.

A scarlet armored figure mounted on his black steed stood in its place.

Luxu immediately makes the first move. With a snap of her fingers, she casted the power of blessing upon him, blinding his vision while damaging him simultaneously. The moment the light disappeared, the Horseman received steel to the face, toppling him off his high horse.

Once she did, the albino aimed her ranged weapon to the bewildered steed's eye. With a single push of the button on her handle, the horse's head exploded.

Black blood stained her pale white skin and fringes. Luxu lands on the tiled floor safely as the dead horse collapsed and faded away into nothingness. Luxu strides over to the fallen horseman and kicks his spear away.

In her hands were a pair of steel tonfas that can shoot multiple rounds of bullets. The long metal glinted underneath the interior light as she stepped on top of the soldier without his horse and points the barrel of her gun tonfa to his red plated helmet.

In an instant, she towered over the captain guard of the castle.

Though her eyes were obscured by her blindfold, the thin line formed on her lips thought nothing but of her objective. She stared down at the Persona.

"Hand me the key. Now." She demanded. Her words cut no slack for the victim.

Despite the position he's in, he had the nerve to chuckle. "What key? I have no such thing."

"Don't entertain me with your lies. Your aura told me all I needed to know. You have what I need to proceed into the tower. If you treasure your life, then I only ask you for the 'key.' Nothing more, nothing less."

"If I give it to you, you'll just kill me in the end. I serve King Kamoshida to the very end. I will die as his stepping stone to glory."

Luxu frowned. "I won't kill you. If you give me the key, that is."

The Horseman was silent as he stared at her. "May I see your face? Your _true_ face?"

At first Luxu had no obligation to show her face to an enemy who will report about her to Kamoshida, however... "Will you give me the key then?"

"A man does not go behind his word. I promise I won't report to King Kamoshida about you either." The Horseman swore.

Luxu's sensitive sense of smell allows her to even identify one's emotions that reveal their true self as well as their lies. She smelled nothing but honesty.

Luxu begrudgingly accepted his promise. "I don't see why you want to know..." She grumbled under her breath. She strips the blindfold off her head. "There, happy?"

A moment of silence passed.

She couldn't see behind the gaps of the metal plate over his eyes, but the sigh in his breath gave it away.

"I've never seen such beautiful eyes before..."

Luxu was dubious, yet she remained quiet. What he said afterwards surprised her.

"You are not a Shadow, missy. No Shadow has honest and pure eyes like yours."

Luxu found herself tight lipped. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to deny that but a part of her believed otherwise.

"...I didn't take you for a flattering kind of man." She finally said.

The Horseman laughed. "I'm satisfied now. As I promised, I'll give you the 'key.'"

Luxu gets off the Persona and tied the blindfold around her eyes. The Horseman hands her what seems to be a stone eyeball.

Luxu stared at it hard.

"...Am I a joke to you? _This_ is the key?" Luxu waves the eye to the Persona exaggeratedly.

"I never said it was an actual key. Or did you actually ambush me not knowing what it was?"

Luxu fell quiet. "...I figured you would have _something_ important since you're the captain guard..."

The Horseman snickered. "You weren't off the mark. I like honest kids. However, I hope this is the last time we cross paths. Farewell, o wandering soul."

Luxu huffs to herself when she separated ways with him. What a weird Persona. She thought he would be the type to babble on honor and worthy death for Kamoshida as his underling. She guessed not.

Luxu climbs up the velvet red stairs that had appeared from nowhere (such is the wonders of this Palace) and enters the next floor.

Luxu crouches low after no Shadow was within her radius to witness a mysterious poof of smoke. Once again a crow (being a bird is very practical for traveling), Luxu flies close to the tall ceiling and scans the area. There was a few knights scattered.

Luxu saw no need to take any of them down and continues to fly to the next floor where she quickly reverted to human and shut the door behind her.

Her enhanced sense of smell caught of whiff of human scents. Those four infiltrators were in the same floor as her.

Luxu sneaks up to the top of the staircase and hid behind the corner of the wall. They seem to have trouble progressing as they were faced before swinging blades threatening to slice them in half, preventing further entry. They were surrounding a bust statue of Kamoshida. One eye socket glowed yellow.

Luxu looks at the eye between her fingers. They must be looking for this but have failed to find it because she had taken it. Oops.

A sound lured the four to the source of attention. A stone eyeball rolled by one of the member's feet. A young man in a long black coat picks it up. His fellow companions peered in shock.

"No way!"

"Joker, that's...!"

Joker nodded. "Yeah."

A caw was heard.

The group looked around until they spotted Crow Luxu perched on the window sill from above. Luxu simply stared at them. If it weren't for the occasional head tilts, they would've thought they were staring at a statue.

"A crow?" A young man wearing a metal skull mask said.

"Could it be the same bird that helped us out on the roof?" A girl in a skin-tight red leather body suit inquired.

Luxu flaps her wings once and cawed again.

"Looks like it." The anthropomorphic cat affirmed. "Crows are known to be very intelligent creatures. But I do wonder how it got that eye..."

Joker looks to the crow. "Thank you."

Crow Luxu nodded. As she watched the gang progress further, she opted to wait for a bit until they have cleared the path for her. She didn't want to get involved with humans to the point of worrying about them. If they die, they die. To her, they are only tools that will do most of the manual labor for her.

She must believe that, for her own sake.

Luxu is a Shadow. How could she let herself believe the Horseman's words even for a second that she may not be a denizen of the Metaverse? She doesn't know who or what else she could be. It would only make sense that she is a monster of the cognitive realm.

Therefore, she will not further assist them if it meant threatening her mission.

...Mission?

Why did she come here again? Ah, because of that human girl...

Luxu hung her head. She thought she can use her powers for _something_. If she can't protect anyone with it, what can she alone do? Nothing.

The only thing she can do now is to get revenge for Shiho. Luxu would love to end Kamoshida's life, but he would not atone his sins if he took the easy way out. It wouldn't heal Shiho's arms either.

The Shadow willed the tightening pressure stirring in her chest to stop. She did the right thing, right? Saving the human from unspeakable evil that afternoon... Shiho was safe when she intervened!

In exchange, Shiho lost the ability to use her arms.

Was it Shiho's fate to fall into ruin? If Luxu turned back time and save her in many different ways, would the result just end in the worse ways possible?

Luxu flapped her wings angrily before departing for the top of the tower. Fate is cruel and spiteful. The notion made her want to punch fate in the face.

As the crow soared past the staircase and reverts back to open the door to the next level, Luxu wondered what the masked people's intentions were in infiltrating Kamoshida's castle. It couldn't simply be just for riches and wealth, right? It may likely be personal business with Kamoshida himself.

If they plan to overthrow the king, that would be an entertaining sight to behold.

Crow Luxu perched on the rail of the platform where she can see Shadow Kamoshida in the center of the throne room, several soldiers lined on either side of him to protect their liege. He looked impatient as he demanded the capture of the intruders.

She sensed the core of the Palace's manifestation past the long stairs behind his throne. Perfect.

Having succeeded in securing an infiltration route, Luxu takes her leave from the castle.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

Luxu revisits Shujin Academy the following day. She didn't know why, but despite her fear of being attracted to what is real, she felt she had to see the school Shiho attended again. Her feet just led her here.

The albino was sitting atop the concrete border as she idly watch students enter.

The news of Shiho's attempted suicide at Shujin Academy still persists. While Shiho fortunately survived from the fall, she fell into a coma for who knows how long.

Luxu's chest grew heavy. She has her scent tracked down to where she is hospitalized, but she believed she shouldn't go see her. It was like meeting Shiho's Shadow again. Luxu had acknowledged the guilt, which is exactly why she fears seeing Shiho's face again.

The Shadow bit her bottom lip.

She provided her hope, and she failed her. Some hero she was.

Luxu curled up into a sitting fetal position and buried the lower half of her face in her arms.

This immense feeling of guilt that only grows stronger here in Shujin could be her punishment as a phantom who wanted to relish in the beauty of the real world. Her selfishness paid the price for a long period of unforgiving nightmares.

_'I'm sorry...'_

Luxu sensed a pair of eyes on her. She looks up.

Dark gray eyes peered directly at her sitting form atop the border. His face looked familiar, despite it looking plain.

The albino scrunched her brows. She looks behind her to see nothing particular before reverting her gaze back to the boy. He was still staring at her silently as though contemplating what to say.

Luxu then recognized him by his scent. The scent of coffee and spices. It was a peculiar combination, hence how she remembered him more clearly. This was the boy who she had bumped into.

Luxu shifts in her spot so that she was no longer in her fetal position and allowed her cloaked legs to dangle. She decides to gamble on the possibility that he can indeed see her.

"Human, you can see me, no?"

The boy with glasses slowly nodded once. He was surprised that the stranger in black would be willing to talk to him first.

A budding excitement grew in Luxu's chest. She finally found someone from the human realm who can see her aside from her tanuki form after these two years.

Students walking pass the boy casts odd glances as they entered the academy, spurring the student to quickly move along after standing in one spot staring at air. At least that's what it appears to be to the normal naked human eye.

Luxu followed his retreating form until he was no longer seen inside the school.

Luxu's lips formed a thin line. Her nose had tracked another presence inside his school bag. It was rather familiar. The scent was not human, but neither was it a monster. It was something she can't quite distinguish, but she didn't smell any hostility from it.

What was more peculiar was the human's scent. Luxu couldn't find any foul traces of malevolence or ill intent. It would make sense for children and infants to not harbor distinct negative energy, since they haven't matured enough to understand, but this person is a teenager well on his way to adulthood. The only explanation to that would be that his Shadow is no longer lost and has awakened into his Persona...

But to do that, the host has to be aware of the Metaverse and entered there...

Interesting. Interesting indeed. All the more to wander in Shujin Academy.

A smirk crept onto her lips.

She finally found a way to kill time.

**P5P5P5P5P5P5P5**

**Soo, let me give a brief overview of Luxu's weapons and powers, just to establish what she can do. Most things here were already stated in this chapter, but the rest will be explained in the future chapters for narrative purposes. So you can take this section as a preview to how Luxu will fight in upcoming updates.**

**Luxu's melee plus ranged weapons are her gun tonfas, or alternatively, tonfa blasters. It's a two-in-one weapon choice, so it can be risky if she were to lose one or both of them in a fight. At the moment, they don't have any custom upgrades, but in the future when she can actually obtain better tonfas they'll be stronger.**

**Luxu is an all-round type of party member where she's not exceptionally better at one thing, nor is she weak at one thing over the rest. She herself likes focus on _all_ of her skills, so that she doesn't feel burdened by one thing. Achieving balance is a thing she would like to maintain.**

**Luxu uses bless attacks, or as called in Persona games, Kouha. It's ironic since she's all black, but it suits her character. She has a balanced set of skills ranging from basic healing to debuffs and buffs (for defense and accuracy/evasion respectively) and physical attacks, however they're mostly only for single targets, as Luxu was always a loner and never sought for aid in the Metaverse. She always used them for herself, after all. She's best for boss fights and against single enemies.**

**Luxu's outfit is her black coat which is specially made for low resistance to _all_ attacks, both physical and magic (Megido attacks excluded). It is also heat and cold resistant. Putting on her hood allows her to completely mask her presence and identity. If she were to somehow lose it, then she opens to all kinds of damage.**

**Luxu's blindfold (her accessory) is not simply for show. This blindfold signifies her identity as a phantom without a mask. She can take it off, but she will never reveal the color of her eyes, _especially _to denizens of the real world. Shadows? No big deal. Humans? Nope. "It's part of the rules," Luxu would say.**

**As a Shadow, Luxu is strong in physical aspects. Hence, she would risk herself for the Phantom Thieves in doing whatever inhuman tasks are offered. Their lives are more important and much fragile than a Shadow like herself. This reckless thinking would get her into trouble, though, much to her genuine confusion.**

**As a Shadow, Luxu cannot summon a Persona. Because she's a Shadow. Morgana is not a Shadow, so he's a special case. Though one Shadow said Luxu may very likely not be a real Shadow like she thought herself to be, then how can she not summon a Persona? Hmm...**

**Luxu's shape-shifting powers are risky if she were to use them a lot. So far in this chapter she can transform into a crow and a chameleon. It's too much for me to explain, so her powers will be explored gradually in future chapters. Look forward to that!**

**Please review and/or fave and/or follow~**


	3. Came Facing Twilight On And On

**Quick A/N here: so apparently even a Shadow can summon a Persona (Teddie in P4 is one instance). And so can a dog, a toaster, a cat, oh my gosh the possibilities.**

**I never plan on creating a Persona for my OC anyways, so we're still going with the non-Persona-user OC. I still have a plot reason why Luxu doesn't have a Persona (or can't, that may be a better question) that doesn't contradict the Persona lore (or whatever's within P5 boundaries).**

**Remember guys, I only know P5 the most out of the other games. In fact I got into Persona because of P5, and I'm not intending on getting into 3 and 4 atm at least. So if I get any lore confused or contradictory to past Persona games (I'm aware these are supposed to be in one universe, one timeline), please let me know.**

**This update's super late since I was on writer's block, I was also writing other OC fics, and as of now I'm invested in other fandoms that kept my time away from FF. Too much things to devote to!**

**With P5 games such as Royal and Scramble, I don't think my patience will last long. The original is as long as it already was. So, I decided to make this narrative completely through Luxu's eyes. There won't be much dialogue taken from the game, and lots of things will be summarized. Things will look a little rushed but I try to do what I can. **

**Thank you for reading!**

**[Came Facing Twilight On and On]**

Today is the day. The day where the king will be overthrown by those he had looked down upon.

Luxu transformed into a crow and flew straight for the Metaverse Shujin Academy. She avoids the spotlights roaming around from the rooftop before making her way to the top of the tower.

Just as she swoops in for the window, a poof of smoke obscured the crow to reveal her human form as she then kicked the window and entered. She didn't care if the commotion would attract nearby soldiers. She was determined to steal Kamoshida's heart if it was the last thing she had to do.

Luxu lands on the floor with ease and climbs up the pillar to enter from the balcony of the throne room. She hides behind a dense pillar as she spotted the Palace ruler standing before his throne chair. Luxu could sense the source of his desires manifested into a glamorous crown held in his hand. So that's the Treasure.

There was also the four thieves confronting the king in the same room.

_'Them again...'_

Red and black miasma overwhelms Kamoshida as he transformed into his true Shadow form. Everyone watched as the shadow casted by his towering form overwhelm the thieves.

_'What the hell is that abomination of a fetus?!'_

Luxu covered her nose and mouth. The foul odor oozing of lust emanated from the demon embodiment that is Kamoshida. It makes her want to choke to death. The odor was just too suffocating for her sensitive nose to bare.

Luxu didn't think she'd lend a helping hand again for the thieves, but their goals aligned for one thing: beat Kamoshida and steal his Treasure.

Luxu will assist discreetly from the sidelines, starting with a debuff.

_'Rakunda.'_

With a snap of her fingers, Kamoshida's defense went down. The Shadow sensed his body being more vulnerable to attacks and winced, much to the party's surprise. Whatever it was, they proceeded to attack.

She remained lurking in the dark as she watched the fight begin. She can't risk exposing herself and get dragged into the fight.

Apparently all four of them are Persona-users. However one of them is capable of summoning more than one kind of Persona.

She heard of those kinds of individuals. Usually the users can only have one Persona as it signifies their personality, but those who have multiple Personas are called the Wildcard. It's rare to find one.

Luxu analyses the flow of battle.

They're amateurs when it comes to fighting. They must have only recently awakened to their powers. If those humans fight too carelessly, they will die in the Metaverse. Their fragile human shells can't withstand severe damage as much as Luxu.

Some volleyballs hit the skull masked boy more often than not. Luxu wasn't sure if they were deliberate or if they wander too much.

_'Sukukaja.'_

Luxu boosts the blond's agility. He should feel a little lighter now. He expressed wonder at the sensation, but couldn't dwell on the thought before dodging a volleyball assault.

At some point Kamoshida healed himself by consuming a pair of a bare woman's legs from the golden trophy in front of him. It proved to be troublesome, as well as morbid.

The group shot at the trophy to take it down. Kamoshida explicitly expressed irritation when they did. It was a precious piece of glory he held in his prime as a volleyball player. Hearing someone tell them to not do something only makes people hear the opposite.

Once the trophy of obsession was destroyed, Kamoshida continued to be stubborn and refuse to surrender his crown, despite having lost his source of vitality. It was clear brute force won't get them anywhere.

They have to change tactics. The leader realized that as well and activated a smokescreen, obscuring them from Kamoshida's sight. The smoke wasn't thick enough to hide their presences from Luxu's nose, however, as she detected them hiding behind a pillar.

When the smoke cleared, three figures appeared. One of them was missing. From Luxu's perspective, she spotted Skull climbing a pillar. Demon Kamoshida hasn't discovered their plan yet.

She presumed they were going to snatch his crown while he was distracted on the three. That was for the best after all. Their objective is to obtain the crown. Beating up Kamoshida, while a tempting priority, goes second.

Kamoshida licks his long purple tongue on his glass of wine with cognitive Ann inside. It was still revolting how he sees Shiho's friend as the queen while in shameless undergarments. That's only disrespectful to the real Ann, and that made Luxu's blood boil.

Kamoshida's attack has gone up. Luxu cursed. Unless the thieves have Tarunda to negate his buff, no one can stop him from getting stronger; neither can Luxu.

Kamoshida tossed a volleyball into the air and leaps for the spike. It was out of Luxu's powers to counter such a devastating move, especially when he increased his power from the wine glass. That was surely going to severely wound the masked thieves.

_"Gold Medal Spike!"_

Luxu could only watch as they collapsed to the floor from the blow. No, she can't intervene. Not yet. The timing has to be perfect...!

A volleyball is summoned as Kamoshida prepares for the final blow. Once he jumped and raised his pink arm behind him, Luxu took that chance and casted Kouha.

The balls of light blinded him in time for the king to completely miss his spike, the volleyball having been below him by the time he spiked too late.

Kamoshida landed on the floor and stared at his hands wide-eyed. He didn't expect any one of those brats to have light magic. But more importantly...

"I missed... I _missed?! Me?! _King Kamoshida never makes a rookie shot!" The demon threw a tantrum, screeching, "Which one of you brats did it?" His buggy-eyed gaze lands on the leader, only to dilate furiously at the masked face. "You! You bastard! You ruined my glorious spike, didn't ya? I've had it!"

Luxu's white brows rose dreadfully as she realized her actions. She only invoked his rage, which is driving him to unleash a more powerful, merciless kill shot!

"Slaves! Bind them, chain them! The execution is on!" Kamoshida ordered. His little minions bounded by chains scramble to carry out his order. The three thieves were at a disadvantage now that their health is seriously in the red zone.

The cognitive slaves surrounded them chanting, "Death to the intruders! Death to the intruders!" They pulled at chains before running in a circle to rope them altogether in one big bundle of chains. The thieves struggle to break free, however the chains only tighten the more they struggle.

Kamoshida cackled. "You'll pay for defying your king... with your lives!" He tossed a volleyball -this time golden- in his hand testily before throwing above him.

Luxu sucked in her teeth. Looks like she'll make her debut right here, starting now.

_"Gold Medal Spike: Ultima!"_

Luxu jumps in right before the gold volleyball would crash into them and held her tonfas up horizontally. Luxu grunts from the weight and pressure of the spinning gold volleyball grinding against her steel tonfas, sparks flying close to her face. The shockwaves caused from the head on contact courses through her arms as they desperately try to maintain their grip on the tonfas. The waves pulled at her hood and allowed her bleach white hair whip behind her.

Luxu buries the soles of her boots to the floor as she was driven back slowly but surely out of her control of holding her ground.

If she moves her tonfas slightly to the wrong direction, the ball would ricochet and become an unfavorable force for her and the humans. She has to get rid of it before she gets thrown back too!

Luxu grits her teeth. Using all her might, she breathes in and builds the boiling blood pumping through her veins and muscles before pushing the ball back. The ball spiked Kamoshida directly in the face, much to her pleasure.

Demon Kamoshida's head rolled back and brought his body to the floor, collapsing. However, one of his two pairs of arms kept him propped up and the other keeping his crown secured on his head.

Luxu pants heavily. Though she has somewhat of a grip on her now battered tonfas, they were tempted to slip away from her grasp. She can't feel her arms. They could almost fall right off any moment.

Everyone stared at the black-cladded figure in complete awe. Who was this person? Their ally? She did just save them from impending doom...

Joker's eyes widen behind his mask. Ghostly white hair cascading her back, a long black coat that hides her identity, and a blindfold...

"You're...!"

Kamoshida nursed his face and points a finger to the new face of the room. He never recognized a girl with white hair at the school, so she had to be an outsider, thus an intruder just like the rest of the brats. Another threat who dares to disrespect the king.

"Who the hell are you! How dare you return my ultimate move back at me! That's not allowed in volleyball!"

Luxu breathes in to speak dryly, "Really? I wasn't aware..." She lifts her chin up to the ceiling. Though her blindfold hides her eyes, the gesture was clearly looking down on him. She smirked. "I'm a phantom. Human rules and sports don't apply to a ghost like me."

Kamoshida growled. Just when he was about to execute the infiltrators, _she_ got in his way. "Damn brats... Slaves! Capture her! Now!"

The slaves who were once watching speechlessly like idiots hasten to bind her. A chain caught Luxu by the wrist from above while another is wrapping around her torso. Unable to feel her hands any more, she dropped her tonfas that fell to the floor with sharp cling and clangs.

Luxu cursed. She has to get out before she gets the front row seat for a volleyball to the face!

Amidst his frustration, Kamoshida pounded four fists to the floor. The floor shook violently that it shot Luxu up into the air, startling her.

Chains... Luxu hates to admit it, but she was accustomed to the feeling of being chained up, in both literal and metaphorical sense. Oh how she wanted to laugh bitterly.

She's tired of it! This stupid puppeteer called Fate playing their lives with invisible strings... Luxu will break out of them and have a will of her own! Then, she'll send her flying fist against Fate right in its face and teach it a lesson!

A rush of endorphins floods Luxu's arms and hands once numb from the volleyball attack. She can't stop, not when she can turn the tide with these chains that love to bind people to their fates. Kamoshida chose the wrong target.

While suspended in midair, the albino holds the chain in her wrist tightly before spinning the opposite direction the metal snake coiled around, unraveling its body as she did. Luxu then snatched the chain with her free hand and swung the long snake at the slaves. It formed a long wide arc as it went, hitting the slaves along its path while the thieves quickly fell backwards and ducked from the whip attack.

The slaves were sent flying to the wall from the chain. They slide down and soon faded away into ashes. His slaves were no more.

"What?!"

The lurking fourth member of the gang took the chance and leaped for his crown. Skull successfully swiped the large Treasure off Kamoshida's head and landed safely to his comrades' side.

Luxu lands to the floor with ease, the chains clattering in a spiral around her. They too disappeared in the same manner after the slaves were no longer controlling them. The thieves were now free from the chains and stood up.

Skull gaped at Luxu. How did she do that?! That... was so badass! It was like watching an action scene from an anime!

Luxu pants for air. Her adrenaline is going to catch up to her. She can't do much after that retaliation.

She looks back to the masked thieves. Now the king is without his crown. "Take him down, now!"

Joker nodded. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!"

The thieves performed an all-out attack, darting from place to place while inflicting a rain of damage upon the enemy. Kamoshida screamed before falling flat on his face, his demonic form slowly fading away to reveal the human form.

They defeated Kamoshida... However their objective has not been completed yet.

Just as they go to retrieve the crown, Kamoshida suddenly snatched it away and flees to the balcony. They cornered him now that he has lost his strength to fight back again and no minion to call upon for help. He has nowhere to hide but to jump instead, if he was bold enough.

Luxu narrowed her eyes beneath her blindfold.

He's seeing the same view Shiho had before she jumped. Oh the parallels... except Shiho had no second choice. Kamoshida will either bite the dust or die royally by their hands.

The girl in red summoned her Persona, two balls of fire dancing in the palm of her hands menacingly.

Luxu drew a sharp breath.

Luxu hadn't noticed because of the foul odor Kamoshida had emanated throughout the battle, but now she recognized the person from her face.

Ann...is a Persona-user? Since when? Does Shiho know?

Luxu had considered preventing them from attacking until she herself gets a clean straight punch to Kamoshida's face, but now she suddenly lost the will.

"Do you want to finish him off? It's your call." The anthropomorphic black cat permitted.

"No, please wait! I beg you... Just forgive meeee!" Shadow Kamoshida pleaded and held his hand out for mercy.

"Shut up. I bet everyone told you the same. But you... you took everything from them!"

Ann's Persona shot Agi to Kamoshida, only for it to miss him deliberately into the wall beside him as a warning. He still has the Treasure cradled to his chest after all.

Kamoshida shrieked before succumbing his knees to the floor, head hung low. "I accept defeat... You want this? Take it."

Joker caught the crown tossed their way.

"Go ahead and finish me off..." Tears and sweat were evident as he smiled bitterly. "You do that... and my real self will go down too... You have that right since you've won..."

Ann's hand clenched tightly into balled fists. She gave her Persona the signal.

She shoots another Agi towards his way.

Luxu's eyes dilated. She's really going for the kill!

_"Ann!"_

Luxu internally cursed before quickly casting Kouha to counterattack. Light and fire come into contact, resulting in an explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Luxu is seen standing in front of Kamoshida. Everyone is shocked to witness the albino suddenly had switched sides.

Ann bared her gritting teeth at the phantom. Her pink gloves balled into fists trembled violently. "Why...Why did you stop me?! What's your deal?! Isn't he your enemy?" Once she took a few stomps forward, the boys rushed to hold her back. They locked her arms in place as she struggles to resist and go strangle Kamoshida herself.

"Stop it, Ann! You shouldn't do this!"

"It's all his fault!" The blonde screeched, pink lips spilling her emotions continuously. "He disabled Shiho! Now Shiho can't use her arms ever again! Not for volleyball, not for _anything_! It's all his damn fault! Nothing will be the same! Nothing..." Her voice crippled in the end.

Ann collapses to the floor, bringing the rest of the Phantom Thieves down with her as they still have their arms wrapped around her, except this time they were almost cradling the girl as she broke down into tears on the spot.

Luxu faced her spits as calm and impassive as she was behind her mask. Ann's scent did not betray her. Remorse, agony, frustration... All these feelings incite the same wavelength of emotions Luxu had felt.

Now that Ann has vented her feelings out loud, her scent is replaced with immense sadness and one of tired weariness. Her heart that is usually full of love and affection now resigns to the numbness clenching her chest. She had succumbed to the overbearing feeling of hate that is too much for her to carry.

Luxu detected it all. She listened to her pent-up regrets and hatred and will carry that pain for as long as she lives.

She finally spoke calmly, "If his mind shuts down, he can't admit his crimes. You should have known that."

Ann didn't say anything in response. She swallowed the pill and acknowledged that, despite her knowledge, she still wished for Kamoshida's death.

"However..."

Luxu swiftly snatches Kamoshida by the throat and lifts him off the floor with one arm.

The Phantom Thieves gasped.

"If you truly wish, I shall give him death. You will not be held responsible in the real world, nor in the Metaverse. Kamoshida will die from a sudden psyche attack, not by my hands. After all, something that isn't real can't be filed guilty for murder." Luxu says impassively. It's a bizarre sight to see a girl lifting a fully grown, larger man effortlessly.

Kamoshida visibly struggles to breathe, yet he is not resisting to break free from her grasp. If this is how he will die, then so be it. No matter who kills him, his death will satisfy everyone who despises him for his misdeeds.

Luxu didn't spare a single glance to the captive king as her gaze remained on the Phantom Thieves, specifically Ann as she spoke, "It's your choice. Spare the king's life, or commence the execution. Whichever you choose, I will pay heed to your call, because you are the one who loves Shiho the most."

Ann looks on with wide blue eyes at the offer. She bows her head from view. "Please... Let him go." She mumbled softly.

To Luxu, she heard it loud and clear. She released Kamoshida's throat. The man lands but then collapses to his knees buckled from the relief of tension. He was spared. By the woman whom he had played between his fingers.

His eyes wander to Luxu. When they made eye contact (supposedly), he squeaked before shuffling away from her. He feared she can decapitate him in the blink of an eye.

From behind Ann's mask, she was still visibly discontent to not have Kamoshida gone from the spot. However, she was mature to understand that death is not the solution to everything.

Ann's scent at the time truthfully doesn't want to take his life, even when she wished for it. It's easy to wish for one's death, never physically murder in cold blood. If anyone was going to murder, it was definitely not these humans. They're still teenagers. If they were going for the murderous route, they'll be no better than the corrupt adults.

"I've... I've lost. You're through when you lose..." Kamoshida shook his head defeatedly and stared at the floor. "What am I— What am I supposed to do now...?"

"Atone for your sins." Joker said simply. It was obvious what a sinful adult such as Kamoshida should do from this point forward.

"All right... I will leave now and return to my real self... I'll make certain that I-" As Kamoshida lifted his head to reveal a resigned smile, he flashed away in white light before he could finish.

Luxu could no longer detect his scent. He has truly disappeared.

The whole castle shook. Now that the Palace ruler is gone, the Palace itself will soon be erased from the Metaverse.

The Shadow transforms into her crow form and flies out of the open balcony. She thought she heard someone ask for her whereabouts, but the crumbling debris drowned them out before she would clearly hear it.

There was one last thing she has to do before the Palace would disappear, however.

Human Luxu lands to stand on the ledge of the castle roof, watching as the Palace crumbles. Manifested out of nowhere in her hand was a wine glass filled with blood red liquid. She lifts it to the golden full moon above the crimson sky.

"Long live the king."

She tipped the wine glass and let the wine fall from several stories above ground. She then released the glass. Once it shatters, the castle of lust will officially be erased from the cognitive realm.

Luxu allowed gravity to pull her down as she jumped off the roof. She likes falling from high places as it gives her mind a moment to clear itself and not worry about the worries of life for the duration she is free falling.

The wine glass cracked. It progressed to the rest of the body before it shattered into pieces. Just before Luxu would meet the ground, she turned into a crow and swiftly flew to the exit. The Metaverse distorted for a second before the city appeared normal.

She turns her head to look back. There was no longer a brick castle standing in place of Shujin Academy.

Luxu sighed. She's tired. Deflecting a volleyball was not on her bucket list. Now she doesn't have her tonfas anymore, either.

Luxu knew she can't celebrate just yet. All she has to do now is wait for the change of heart and hope that Kamoshida's heart has truly changed. Only then will she have avenged Shiho and atone her sins as well. The sin that led to one girl's fate become a tragedy by the hands of something that shouldn't exist.

**P5P5P5P5P5**

The pungent odor from Shujin Academy was no longer present. Luxu couldn't locate Kamoshida's scent in the building. She then learned he was absent from school from the students spreading the news.

What could he be doing now that his Shadow returned to him? Perhaps wallowing in his intolerable actions and thinking of what to do.

Meanwhile during his long absence, Luxu visited Shiho at last.

The albino stood before her hospital bed, the patient dressed in a pale blue hospital gown. Her dark hair splayed around her framing her pale skin painted from the tragic event.

Luxu's expression crestfallen. She hoped Shiho won't stay in her coma for a long time, especially once Kamoshida has handed himself in to the police. She needed to know that she was avenged. All the suffering and abuse that drove her into a corner, where she had clung to what little faith she didn't think she would have... Shiho _has_ to know.

Luxu extends her gloved hand. Her fingertips grazed her hair. She closed her eyes. In that moment, she visualized it.

The phantom lifting a strand of dark brown locks pinched loosely between her fingers and bringing it to her lips and solemnly brush against them.

If Shiho can hear her, even for this instance...

From behind the lock of hair, one may notice the firm line of her lips quiver the slightest.

"I'll be a hero from the shadows. No one will have to know my face, my existence... As long as justice is made, that is all I wish."

Luxu opens her eyes.

Her hand was hovering over Shiho's head, ghostly grazing against her hair that only remained still as her touch did not reach the real world.

Luxu held her hand to her chest and tighten it into a fist.

"Every hero has their origin. You will be the start of it all... Shiho."

She won't forget her purpose of fighting for justice. To save people from the clutches of jaded adults and corrupted social system is what's natural for heroes to do.

**P5P5P5P5P5**

The whole academy was gathered for an assembly. Luxu had witnessed the moment of truth. Kamoshida had arrived and confessed his sins before the entire gymnasium, and even offered to surrender his life if it meant clearing his name. However, the only just solution was to atone in prison, to which he had begged someone to call the police and take him away right on the spot.

She had stayed only for that specific bit before she vanished from the gymnasium.

Now what will she do?

Sure, Luxu was pleased of Kamoshida being handcuffed and dragged by the police officers -seeing him being a completely changed man really does wonders after all the horrible things he has done- but she is not exactly off the hook.

Luxu scratched her head. The Metaverse has become lively with new visitors that will most likely be regulars.

"The Phantom Thieves, huh..."

Luxu absentmindedly plays with a rusted sword. Now that her tonfas were rendered useless, she has to make do with basic weaponry found in the chests. She could build a tower with the amount of swords accumulating in her storage.

Luxu suddenly paused and sniffed. The air has shifted. Mementos has guests coming in, and they are not strangers.

She eagerly abandoned whatever she was doing and awaits for their arrival. She will only watch from afar, however, as the opportunity to introduce herself formally is not perfect yet. She will be content being the spectator to their activities in the Metaverse and meddle only when needed. She'll need her entertainers up and running to keep her amused.

While the albino patiently waits at the end area, she sensed a presence vanishing from the upper level. A powerful Shadow presence was defeated.

It must be that one Shadow...was his name Nakanohara? Ah, yes! That man who was oddly obsessed with his former lover. The Phantom Thieves must have targeted him for his obsession. Now that he's returned to his other self, Luxu has one less bothersome hindrance to worry about. She was not obligated to resolve every little disturbance on the side of the road and thus had left him alone every time she passed by his chamber.

Luxu transformed into a crow and perched atop a sign hanging from the ceiling. She was still as a statue as four pairs of feet climbed down the escalators and approached the wall.

The crow watched as the diamond slate of the wall slid up and the round corners rotating until they disappeared. A new area has been confirmed in the depths. Never had the Shadow been so delighted to see a new level of escalators in her whole two years!

It was peculiar though. The wall never budged when she returned after the whole Kamoshida ordeal. Perhaps it required the presence of this group as a whole to open. The cat was speculating that it was the reputation the Phantom Thieves that was the key to diving deeper into Mementos.

Luxu was not exactly keen on that. Now she is obligated to keep them alive to secure their presence in the real world. How troublesome. She wanted to be entertained, not babysitting. She'd be risking her life for them.

No matter, Luxu crow thought as she watched the four-man group exit for the day. They are essential to ending her mundane life and out with the thrill and adventure. A little sweat and blood (not that she actually has human blood) won't cost her that much.

Once they disappeared, Luxu's boots land on the floor.

Now to tackle on the world beyond this small Mementos!


End file.
